Goiter Symptoms

The thyroid gland is one of the most important endocrine glands of our body. This gland has a butterfly shape and is located in the base of our neck. The hormones produced by the thyroid gland help to maintain various functions of the body, that include body temperature, digestive functions, pulse rate, etc. Goiter or bronchocele is a condition or symptom when this thyroid swells due to the dysfunction of the thyroid gland. There are several reasons that can cause formation of goiter. Before knowing about goiter symptoms, let us know about goiter causes.

Goiter Causes
Any health problem that causes malfunction of the thyroid gland can cause development of goiter. There are different types of goiter, that include simple goiter, toxic goiter and nontoxic goiter. Simple goiter is further classified as colloid goiter and sporadic goiter. The cause of the goiter formation depends on the type of the goiter. Colloid goiter is basically a result of iodine deficiency in the diet, while the reasons of sporadic goiter are not yet clear. Too much or too less production of the thyroid hormones usually leads to formation of goiter. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are two conditions of abnormal functioning of thyroid gland that can lead to formation of goiter. In hypothyroidism the thyroid gland produces less hormones, while in hyperthyroidism it produces excessive hormones. Given below is a list of the causes of goiter.

Iodine Deficiency: Iodine is an important mineral that helps to stimulate the production of thyroid hormones. Deficiency of iodine leads to a condition called hypothyroidism which indicates low production of thyroid hormones. Iodine is prominently found in seawater and fish. People who live at high altitudes may develop goiter symptoms due to lack of iodine in the diet.

Hashimoto's Disease: Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder where the thyroid gland produces very less thyroid hormones. Thyroid gland works in synchronization with other glands of the body like pituitary glands. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is a hormone produced by pituitary gland. In Hashimoto's disease, the pituitary gland detects the low level of thyroid hormone and hence it increases the production of TSH which causes the thyroid gland to swell, thereby developing goiter symptoms.

Grave's Disease: Grave's disease is one more autoimmune disorder that causes swelling of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland produces too much of hormones in Grave's disease. Normally the antibodies produced in our body help to attack foreign bodies, but in this autoimmune disorder, antibodies attack the thyroid gland and lead to too much production of thyroid hormones, which further causes development of goiter symptoms.

Other causes of goiter include thyroid cancer, thyroiditis, multi-nodular goiter, pregnancy, etc.

Goiter Symptoms
Swelling below the chin near the lower neck area is one of the most common sign of goiter that can be easily noticed. But not every person who has goiter develops the typical symptoms of goiter. Given below is a list of some of the common signs and symptoms of goiter that may be noticed.

• Swelling in front of neck below Adam's apple
• Difficulty in breathing
• Voice hoarseness
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Cough
• Neck tightness
• Wheezing

Goiter Treatment
The treatment for goiter depends on a number of factors, like size of the goiter, underlying cause and the other symptoms accompanied by goiter. Various diagnostic tests like, hormone test, ultrasonography, thyroid scan, etc are performed to diagnose the problem that caused goiter. Once the underlying cause is diagnosed then the patient can be given appropriate treatment to relieve the problem. If the goiter has developed due to hypothyroidism then the patient is administered with medications that help to recover the hormone level in the body. The patient may be treated with radioactive iodine to reduce the size of the inflamed thyroid gland. In extreme cases the goiter may be removed by a surgery.

If the goiter symptoms prevail for a longer time, then it may cause severe complications. Thus, it is necessary that one should seek medical advise at the earliest when he/she observes any of the signs of goiter.